Comparison of Tempered Glass Vs. Resin Glass

Manufacture

• To turn traditional, or annealed, glass into tempered glass, the glass is heated close to its melting point and then allowed to cool. This extreme heat changes the glass on a molecular level, strengthening it. Laminated glass actually is formed from two sheets of glass bonded together with vinyl or resin. During the manufacturing of resin-bonded laminated glass, two sheets of glass are placed close together and the resin is inserted to fill the narrow space separating them. The sheets of glass are held in place as the resin cures, bonding the two sheets of glass together.

Breaking

• Although stronger than annealed glass, tempered glass can be broken. However, it does not break into jagged shards, but into pebbles with dulled edges, thereby reducing the potential for injury. The layers of glass used in laminated safety glass may not withstand breakage any more effectively than traditional annealed glass, but the layer of resin will hold even broken pieces of glass in place so they do not fall out and present a safety hazard. Often, that same resin or vinyl layer holds strong as a barrier against intruders, even if the glass itself is broken.

Usage

• Building codes require tempered glass to be installed in windows that are in or near doors, close to the floor, in or near stairways, near bathtubs or showers or accessing a swimming pool area. On a car, side windows are usually made of tempered glass --- making them hard to break but penetrable in an emergency --- while laminate glass forms the windshield. Most sliding shower doors incorporate tempered glass, store-front windows often are formed of laminate glass, and skylight windows may be made of laminate, tempered or other safety glass or of acrylic materials. For locations where loud traffic or harsh glare may be a problem, the resin or vinyl layer in laminated glass provides the added benefit of minor noise control and protection from the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays.

Visibility

• Tempered glass may produce a slightly distorted reflection compared to simple annealed glass. Due to its inner layer of plastic or resin, laminated glass may appear slightly tinted.

Complementary Combination

• For an even sturdier safety glass option, consider combining the complementary strengths of laminated and tempered glass. Two sheets of tempered glass may be bonded by the resin layer to form tempered, resin-laminated glass. In this form, the glass layers are harder to break and even if they do, the pieces are not sharp and are held in place by the resin sandwiched between the glass layers.